Constructive Engagement Building a People-Oriented Community

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The Associaon of Southeast Asian Naons (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. TheMember States of the Associaon are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta,Indonesia.

For inquiries, contact:The ASEAN SecretariatPublic Outreach and Civil Society Division70A Jalan SisingamangarajaJakarta 12110IndonesiaPhone : (62 21) 724-3372, 726-2991Fax : (62 21) 739-8234, 724-3504E-mail : [email protected] : www.asean.org

General informaon on ASEAN appears online atthe ASEAN Website: www.asean.org

Catalogue-in-Publicaon Data

Construcve Engagement Building a People-Oriented Community

Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, December 2010

327.09591. Foreign relaons ASEAN2. Socio Cultural Investment

ISBN 978-602-8411-63-9

The text of this publicaon may be freely quoted or reprinted with proper acknowledgement.

Copyright Associaon of Southeast Asian Naons (ASEAN) 2010All rights reserved

Table of Contents

Introducon

1. Execuve Summary

2. Foreword

Part I: Summaries of Addresses

1. Surin Pitsuwan, Associaon of Southeast Asian Naons (ASEAN)

2. Mechai Viravaidya, Populaon and Community Development

Associaon of Thailand

3. Stefanie Elies, Friedrich-Ebert-Sung

Part II: Summaries of Presentaons

1. May-Ann Lim, Singapore Instute of Internaonal Aairs (SIIA)

2. Misran Karmain, Associaon of Southeast Asian Naons (ASEAN)

3. Frank Siebern-Thomas, European Union (EU)

4. Hanne Marte-Furset, Norwegian Child and Youth Council (NORDEN)

5. Boichoko A. Ditlhake, South African Development Community Council of

Non-Governmental Organisaons (SADC-CNGO)

6. Mariana Vzquez, University of Buenos Aires

Future Search Method

Conclusion

Appendices

1. Papers on Methods of Stakeholder Engagement in Regional Organisaons

1.1 May-Ann Lim, Singapore Instute of Internaonal Aairs (SIIA)

1.2 Frank Siebern-Thomas, European Union (EU)

1.3 Hanne Marte-Furset, Norwegian Child and Youth Council

(NORDEN)

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1.4 Boichoko A. Ditlhake, South African Development Community

Council of Non-Governmental Organisaons (SADC-CNGO)

1.5 Mariana Vzquez, University of Buenos Aires

2. List of Proposed Projects and Acon Plans

3. Programme of the Symposium

4. List of Parcipants

5. Informaon on Speakers and Facilitators

5.1 Surin Pitsuwan, Associaon of Southeast Asian Naons (ASEAN)

5.2 Mechai Viravaidya, Populaon and Community Development

Associaon of Thailand5.3 Stefanie Elies, Friedrich-Ebert-Sung

5.4 May-Ann Lim, Singapore Instute of Internaonal Aairs (SIIA)

5.5 Misran Karmain, Associaon of Southeast Asian Naons (ASEAN)

5.6 Frank Siebern-Thomas, European Commission (EC)

5.7 Hanne Marte-Furset, Norwegian Child and Youth Council (NORDEN)

5.8 Boichoko A. Ditlhake, South African Development Community

Council of Non-Governmental Organisaons (SADC-CNGO)

5.9 Mariana Vzquez, University of Buenos Aires

5.10 Prabu Naidu, Facilitators Network Singapore

5.11 Janice Lua, Facilitators Network Singapore

6. Informaon on the Organisers

6.1 ASEAN Secretariat

6.2 Friedrich-Ebert-Sung

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Introducon


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Construcve EngagementBuilding a People-Oriented Community 1

Introducon

1. Execuve Summary

This Report summarises the proceedings of the ASEAN Secretariat(ASEC) Symposium on Methods of Stakeholder Engagement in RegionalOrganisaons, which was held from 23 to 25 November 2009 in Jakarta,Indonesia.

In 2003, the ASEAN Leaders through the Bali Concord decided to establish anASEAN Community by 2020, comprising three pillars Polical and SecurityCommunity, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community. In2009, ASEAN rearmed this commitment and drew up a Roadmap with

Blueprints for each of the three pillars outlining concrete acons to achievethis aim. The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint focuseson: (1) Human Development, (2) Social Welfare and Protecon, (3) SocialJusce and Rights, (4) Ensuring Environmental Sustainability, (5) BuildingASEAN Identy and (6) Narrowing the Development Gap. To implementthis Blueprint, an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC) wasestablished with its rst meeng held on 24 August 2009 to generatewide parcipaon of stakeholders and the peoples in building the ASEANCommunity.

There is no exisng structured mechanism, process or method for theASEAN Secretariat or ASEAN to regularly engage with stakeholders fromcivil society organisaons (CSOs), academics, or other interest groups fromASEAN member countries. However, it is evident that ASEANs stakeholderscan make important contribuons to the community-building process, as therange of stakeholders working on the issues contained in the Blueprints forthe ASEAN Community is very diverse. It is therefore mely and meaningfulfor ASEAN to develop a method for engagement that supports and assists

the ASEAN governments to implement the three Community Blueprints andfoster ASEAN integraon.

With this in mind, the Secretary-General of ASEAN proposed a newconference on one of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community,the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. It would be the rst forum ofits kind to provide a plaorm to facilitate the wide parcipaon ofstakeholders in building the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. ASECcooperated with the Friedrich-Ebert-Sung (FES), Oce for RegionalCooperaon in Asia, to provide support to the engagement processes


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Construcve EngagementBuilding a People-Oriented Community 3Construcve EngagementBuilding a People-Oriented Community2

which could be applied at the ASEAN Secretariats First Socio-CulturalCommunity Forum in the future. The Friedrich-Ebert-Sung has vastexperience in facilitang such dialogues, having worked with governments,civil society representaves and other non-governmental enes in all ASEANmember states for many decades. Beyond this, FES, the largest German policalfoundaon, has successfully worked with regional organisaons in other partsof the world on the very issue of stakeholder involvement.

It was felt that sharing experiences and knowledge about similar processes inother regional organisaons could contribute to the development of a uniqueASEAN method to realise the ASEAN Secretariats First Socio-Cultural CommunityForum in the future. In order to realise these aims, the ASEAN Secretariat, incooperaon with the FES, invited internaonal experts on stakeholder and civilsociety engagement in regional organisaons and organised the brainstorming

Symposium on Methods of Stakeholder Involvement in Regional Organisaonsfrom 23 to 25 November 2009. The Symposium involved leading representavesfrom ASEC, ocials associated with the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC)and relevant ASEAN bodies, universies and think-tanks, civil society and othernaonal and regional stakeholders.

About ninety parcipants took part in the Symposium which used elementsof the Future Search methodology, allowing a parcipatory and producveapproach to the topic. The Symposium had ve objecves: (1) to assessexperiences with ASEAN stakeholders in the regional integraon process; (2) toexchange views on pracces in regional stakeholder dialogue within the socio-cultural sector from the European Union, NORDEN, South African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) and MERCOSUR; (3) to outline basic features and elementsfor a structured dialogue of stakeholders at ASECs First Socio-CulturalCommunity Forum; (4) to deliberate on a process in preparaon, realisaonand follow-up to develop a new parcipatory method to facilitate the exchangeof ideas with CSOs which may contribute to the building of the (ASCC); and(5) to discuss an overall-topic (e.g. social safety-net, educaon) and a Plan of

Acon to implement the new structured dialogue with relevant stakeholdersand ASEAN ocials at the proposed Forum in 2010.

The Symposium enabled the ocials from the ASEAN Member States, ASEC,and other stakeholders to learn about global pracces in engagement withstakeholders that could develop into the First ASEAN Secretariat Socio-CulturalCommunity Forum.

The parcipants worked collecvely to map the future and develop relatedacon plans. The list of these iniaves is included in the body of this Report.

2. Foreword

The ASEAN Charter was signed on 20 November2007 and entered into force on 15 December2008. The document is a remarkable achievementfor the region, for it signals the coming of ageof the ASEAN Member States, reecng theiracceptance of a shared desny and willingness toabide by common purposes and principles. TheCharter is therefore a key guiding document forthe regions future. Together with the Roadmapfor the ASEAN Community (2009 to 2015) andthe Iniave for ASEAN Integraon (IAI) StrategicFramework (for the less developed countries in

ASEAN, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and VietNam), these documents spell out the direconthat the ASEAN governments will take to build an ASEAN Community by 2015.They express the desire of the governments to work together to create aCommunity comprising three pillars, covering polics and security, economics,and socio-cultural issues.

The idea of the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) hosng the major conference on thethree pillars of the ASEAN Community came about almost one year beforethe ASEC Symposium on Methods of Stakeholder Involvement in RegionalOrganisaons, which was held from 23 to 25 November 2009. I had originallyintended to hold an extended forum involving stakeholders to conceiveideas and projects, as well as to build regional networks to help implementASEANs key policies: the ASEAN Charter, Roadmap for the ASEAN Communityand Iniave for ASEAN Integraon (IAI) Strategic Framework. The majorconference would be structured around issues covered in ASEANs policies andinvolve a host of stakeholders, including ASEANs Dialogue Partners, technicalexperts, academia, civil society, businesses, development and internaonal

organisaons, philanthropic organisaons, and the public. These stakeholderswould possess dierent perspecves and experse which could be useful inbuilding the Community.

When I assumed oce, the challenges confronng the ASEAN Secretariatbecame immediately apparent to me. I was mindful that the deadline for theachievement of the ASEAN Community is ve years away. Member Stateshave commied themselves to expressing the values contained in the Charter,Roadmap and IAI Strategic Framework, but the governments, are, by and large,sll grappling with the details of how they will implement the vision. A keyqueson for the ASEAN Secretariat is how it can support or facilitate the ASEAN


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governments in achieving these goals for the ASEAN Peoples. With 260 or sosta at the Secretariat serving ten ASEAN countries, how well can the ASEANSecretariat perform to assist the governments in implemenng their visionof creang an ASEAN Community? Is the mandate of the ASEAN Secretariatsucient to keep up with the work of the governments in implemenngASEANs policies? How could the ASEAN Secretariat evolve to assist the MemberStates with this task, when the organisaon has primarily been involved inservicing meengs, and has limited experience and experse on the ground?How can ASEANs stakeholders contribute to this process? Are the instuonaland enforcement mechanisms sucient for the task? Have we examinedthe funding requirements to support the task? How would we mobilise theCommunity, given the limited public understanding of what integraon entails?What plaorms would we need to enable rapid innovaon to achieve our aims?

Unlike the ASEAN government agencies, the ASEAN Secretariat and the organsof ASEAN interact primarily with governments. Naturally, this exposure islimited, and while governments have the capacity and funding to evolve toaccommodate its environment, the ASEAN Secretariat does not. In order forASEAN to full its obligaons under the Roadmap, it will need to develop aregional and organisaonal capability to transcend the regions governments.Further, while the three Roadmaps cover the three pillars to implement theCommunity, there is a corresponding need to coordinate resources to createsynergies across issues, and avoid overlaps in the allocaon of naonalresources, and across bilateral and regional iniaves. I also noted the limitedinvolvement of the private sector and other non-governmental actors in ASEANintegraon. For example, most ASEAN policies are created by governments withminimal inputs from our stakeholders.

I had other concerns: The ASEAN Secretariat has an operaonal budget ofaround USD14 million, serving a populaon of 575 million people. This presentsan enormous challenge to community-building, especially when consideringthat the only other comparable instuon globally, the European Commission,possesses a budget of USD15 trillion to integrate its populaon of 490 million.ASEAN also relies heavily on foreign assistance programmes, which far exceedthe contribuons by ASEAN governments. To what extent could we transformour exisng relaonships with stakeholders, external partners, DialoguePartners with ASEAN, donors, internaonal organisaons, the private sector andother non-governmental enes such as civil society organisaons, the media,parliamentarians to create posive partnerships that could help us build thisCommunity?

I was also aware that there are tremendous resources within the region thatcould be mobilised to build the ASEAN Community, but they remain largelyuntapped. For example, given that Viet Nam has one of the highest growthrates in the world, it would also possess the resources for ASEAN integraon.

Similarly, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore have successfullymobilised its social enterprises to deliver posive social outcomes. However, inorder for these acvies to take place at the regional level, it would be necessaryto create the necessary and important regional plaorms to inspire andmobilise the private sector and other non-governmental enes to implementASEANs policies. These plaorms would also provide the networks for creavecollaboraons to take place.

The ASEAN Secretariat sta then held several internal brainstorming sessions inMay 2009 to gauge the level of interest in the idea, and our ability to support thecreaon of a major conference on the ASEAN Community. The second sessionwas supported by the Friedrich-Ebert-Sung (FES) and the Economic ResearchInstute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). The role of the ASEAN Secretariat hasevolved since the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter, which enlarges themandate of the Secretary-General. Two years later, the ASEAN Secretariat is sll

grappling with its new role and the demands of its stakeholders, while tryingto develop the capacity and streamline the mechanisms to manage its newand expanded responsibilies. The brainstorming sessions exposed concernabout the capacity of the ASEAN governments to support the new idea ofthe conference, as ideas had only been proposed by the states in the past. Ofparallel concern was the possible overlap between exisng government-ledinter-sectoral plaorms on each of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community.

I then decided to hold the Symposium to enable learning about praccesand methods of stakeholder engagement from other regions, which could beconstrucve to the ASEAN region. These pracces could then be applied to aForum for one of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, the Socio-CulturalCommunity. I sought the cooperaon of the FES as they have vast experienceon these issues throughout the world. I am convinced that governments andstakeholders alike have the same interest in the posive development of theregion, and that governments will make full use of the contribuon of its manystakeholders. All that remains is for us to create these plaorms to realise theidea of the ASEAN Community and to summon our polical will for the goodof the region. I have proposed the idea of the major conferences to the ASEANHeads of State and Government.

I am thankful for the support and cooperaon of Dr Stefanie Elies of theFriedrich-Ebert-Sung (FES) for the Symposium on Methods of StakeholderInvolvement in Regional Organisaons and the support of all parcipants inmaking the Symposium a success.

SURIN PITSUWANSecretary-General of ASEAN


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Summaries of Addresses

Part I


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Part I: Summaries of Adresses

1. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN

The ASEAN Charter Heralds a New Direcon

Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of the Associaon of SoutheastAsian Naons (ASEAN) presented a Welcome Address at the Symposium.In his speech, he emphasised the posion of the civil society within theASEAN region, especially against the backdrop of the development of theASEAN Community and the ASEAN Charter.

Dr Surin Pitsuwan stressed that, We are living under a contract. Thiscontract is the ASEAN Charter a social contract. He added that as ASEANmoves to develop into a rules-based organisaon, it will also develop morelegal commitments and obligaons.

Ownership and Stakeholder Involvement are Vital to the Community-

Building Process

He observed that, In order to build the ASEAN Community, the peopleof ASEAN must develop a sense of ownership, parcipaon, and theawareness that we [] own this process and can shape this Community inour own image. Further, he emphasised that it would not be possible todo this with the government alone. An ASEAN Community will only emergewhen people recognise or accept their responsibility.

Dr Pitsuwan referred to the vital importance of stakeholder involvementand integraon in inter-governmental cooperaon processes. In addion,he stressed that it is crucial that ASEAN create its own disnct method for

stakeholder and CSO engagement. In his opinion, ASEAN could learn fromthe experiences of other regional organisaons, such as the EU, NORDEN,SADC and MERCOSUR, which were all represented at the Symposium.

He added that ASEAN was now playing on an internaonal eld where itsleaders, people and processes are taken very seriously. He urged the ASEANocials, the ASEAN Secretariat sta, and the regional CSOs to give their fullstakeholders for the development of the ASEAN Community.


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2. Mechai Viravaidya, Founder and Chairman

Populaon and Community Development Associaon of

Thailand

Four Aspiraons for the People of ASEAN

Following this, Dr Mechai Viravaidya, Founder and Chairman of the Populaonand Community Development Associaon of Thailand, delivered the keynoteaddress to the parcipants.

Aspiraons 1 and 2: Eradicate Poverty and Create a New Philanthropic

Environment

Dr Mechai aributed the host of social and community problems in ASEAN tothe negave impact of poverty. He is of the opinion that the current welfareapproach, where villages and NGOs depend on government handouts, does notempower the poor, and is ulmately unsustainable in the long run. He addedthat only when the problem of poverty is recognised and tackled throughpartnerships between villages, the private sector, civil society and governments,will collecve acon to address this social ill gain momentum.

He highlighted that poverty eradicaon must go hand-in-hand with the will tocreate a new philanthropic environment, where we must begin to educate ourpeople to share and be more philanthropic from an early age ... to create a newgeneraon of young philanthropists, and where people and companies see anethical responsibility to help the less-fortunate people of ASEAN.

Aspiraon 3: Launch a New Educaon System for the Poor

Dr Mechai emphasised that a related issue is the lack of educaonalopportunies for the poor. Educaon, he said, is the key to climbing out ofthe poverty trap, and excellent educaon is oen denied to those who need itthe most. For him a revoluonary educaonal opportunity for the poor, onecreated to impart to rural children all the necessary skills for becoming good,honest, caring, happy, creave and resourceful cizens, must be developed ifthe poverty cycle is to be broken. Dr Mechai presented some new ideas whichhis internaonal organisaon, the Populaon and Development Internaonal(PDI), had implemented, including a six-sided classroom model, where thereis no front of the class. This is a learning process where the Internet andcomputers replace textbooks, where the students plan their curriculum bydrawing mind-maps and are taught commercial skills that will enable them tobecome nancially independent.

Aspiraon 4: Achieve NGO Financial Sustainability

Lastly, Dr Mechai shared his aspiraon for ASEAN, NGOs and CSOs to achievenancial sustainability. Although the NGO work is by nature unprotable, thecurrent NGO business model relied too heavily on donaons and governmentgrants. He believes that this welfare approach is not sustainable in the long run,as these tradional funding sources are insucient to meet the growing needsand rising costs of CSOs. New and innovave ways of raising funds are requiredand new kinds of partnerships for ensuring CSO nancial security withoutsacricing the mission must be sought. He suggested redesigning exisngprogrammes, private-sector partnerships, and creang a business or socialenterprise branch of CSOs. He cited the example of the Carlsberg Foundaon,which funds its philanthropic work with prots made from Carlsberg beer sales.The presentaon was well-received.

3. Stefanie Elies, Director

Friedrich-Ebert-Sung

Seng the Scene for Dialogues and Interacon

The Friedrich-Ebert-Sung, or FES, is the oldest and largest polical foundaon,founded in 1925 as a polical legacy of Germanys rst democracally-electedpresident, Friedrich Ebert. From over 100 oces worldwide, 16 are situatedin Asia and FES maintains oces and runs country programmes in nearly allASEAN-member countries.

The Regional Oce of FES, based in Singapore, works in close cooperaon withthe country oces in the region and supports: ASEAN cooperaon and integraon, Asia-Europe dialogue and partnership, ASEM process on issues of human security,

Acvies in ASEAN Member States where there are no FES oces:Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao PDR.

Among other objecves, FES sees its acvies as a contribuon to: promong peace and understanding between peoples and inside its partner

countries, promong democracy and strengthening civil society, facilitang regional and worldwide cooperaon between states and dierent

interest groups.

These objecves characterise also FES work in other regions of the world, as thefoundaon is closely cooperang with other regional organisaons, parcularlythe EU, MERCOSUR, and regional organisaons in Africa.


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Construcve EngagementBuilding a People-Oriented Community14


Recent achievements of the ASEAN integraon process and the manifestaonof the commitment to establish an ASEAN Community as outlined in theASEAN Charter and the Roadmap comprising three Blueprints are encouragingand provide new opportunies for engagement. While the queson ofwhether there will be an integraon process towards the establishment of thecommunity pillars is answered and outlined in the Blueprints, the queson ofhow? is sll unanswered for some areas. One of the pre-condions to achievestakeholder involvement is building trust. This symposium was organised withthe aim to contribute to this necessary but ambious process. While proceduresare in progress to design the way of interacon between CSOs and ASEAN, thisSymposium wanted to focus on considering processes and methods for a futureSocio-cultural Community forum.

When FES was asked to support this very much appreciated iniave by theASEAN Secretariat, the aimed contribuon was four-fold: to provide a plaorm for dialogue and exchange; to oer a protected space which allows for free discussions on important

and maybe sensive issues apart from the daily roune; to provide internaonal experse and facilitate an alternave approach, as

well as to reect own and other experiences; and to provide a facilitaon method that allows a parcipatory way of

interacon that is at the same me output-oriented.

Looking at the rst two components, successfully gathering parcipants fromvarious backgrounds at this Symposium is already an achievement in itself.Further, in order to provide the opportunity to share experiences on the methodsof stakeholder involvement from other regional organisaons in the world,there was the possibility to review the past experiences in ASEAN. The SingaporeInstute for Internaonal Aairs was commissioned by FES to conduct a study onthis, which was presented by Ms May-Ann Lim at the Symposium. Experts from theEuropean Commission, the SADC-Council of Non-Governmental Organisaons,one expert on Regional Integraon of the MERCOSUR and a representaveof a civil society roof organisaon from NORDEN further added to the food

for thought process. These presentaons not only gave an overview on thedierent methods of stakeholder involvement but also provided useful insightson good pracces as entry points for the discussions during the Symposium.

Returning to the queson of HOW?, a method for construcve dialoguecalled the Future Search Method was used to help parcipants respect eachothers comfort zones. At the same me, it allowed for construcve dialogue ina roundtable seng. Parcipants were guided by two facilitators, Ms Janice Luaand Mr Prabu Naidu from the Facilitators Network Singapore, as well as by DrMechai Viravaidya, who agreed to chair the Symposium and help focus on thedesired outcomes of the event.

Aer three days, parcipants jointly outlined some elements for an inclusiveand construcve method of stakeholder involvement between CSOs and ASEAN,which in return could contribute to the First ASEAN Socio-Cultural CommunityForum. It would be very desirable if such a forum would also be able to add tothe building of a people-oriented ASEAN Community.

Willy Brandt, a German Social Democrat, Nobel Peace Laureate and fourthChancellor to Germany once said: Our me gives us opportunies like noother me before for beer or worse. Nothing derives from itself. Therefore

be mindful of your own strength and be aware that each me needs its own

answers. And one has to be at the height of its mes, to be able to do good.

I am glad that we found some answers and would like to thank all parcipants forthe fruiul and construcve exchange. I would like to thank Dr Surin Pitsuwan,

the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Mechai Viravaidya, and the resource personsfrom the various regional organizaons, who have shared their experiences withus. I would also like to thank the sta of the ASEAN Secretariat, especially Ms.Teh Lip Li of the Oce of the Secretary-General for her cooperaon in organizingthis Symposium and the Report.


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Summaries of Presentaons

Part II


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ASEAN policies? Finally, have ASEAN and regional CSOs come to an agreement onan eecve process or mechanism to facilitate engagement? Ms Lim noted thatalthough the raonale for civil society engagement was not new, the plaormsfor engagement are sll in their infancy, and there is a nascent movement froma naonal to ASEAN-level civil society engagement. She concluded that it wasan appropriate me to discuss stakeholder involvement methods for ASEAN.

2. Misran Karmain

Associaon of Southeast Asian Naons (ASEAN)

Subsequently, the representaves of the three ASEAN communies, the ASEANDeputy Secretary-General of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Dato

Misran Karmain, and ocials from the ASEAN Secretariat presented their viewson ASEANs engagement with civil society. In doing so they stressed the need touphold open and construcve dialogue to implement the ASEAN Community.

In his remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Socio-CulturalCommunity briefed the Symposium on his views on how the Symposiumwould allow all parcipants to share and learn from pracces in other regionalorganisaons, and help to further improve engagement with stakeholders.As ASEAN governments work towards building a people-centred ASEANCommunity, it will need to expand its network of stakeholders.

He added that more than mere CSOs, stakeholders are people with interests orconcern with a project or business. Stakeholders should therefore contribute toASEANs main goals and objecves. There is a need to nd a modus-operandusto sustain a long-running and mutually rewarding relaonship.

Dato Misran Karmain quoted ASEAN Charter Arcle 1 Purposes: To promote

a people-oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society are encouraged toparcipate in and benet from, the process of ASEAN integraon and communitybuilding. He added that an enre secon in Chapter V of the ASEAN Charter isdevoted to Enes Associated with ASEAN, which recognises and underlinesthe importance of stakeholder involvement in the community-building process.Moreover, he added that ASEAN may engage with enes which support theASEAN Charter; in parcular, its purposes and principles. Rules of procedureand criteria for engagement shall be prescribed by the Commiee of PermanentRepresentaves to ASEAN upon the recommendaon of the Secretary-Generalof ASEAN.


Annex 2 of the Charter lists parliamentarians, business organisaons, thinktanks, CSOs and other stakeholders in ASEAN.

ASEAN is currently reviewing the exisng Guidelines on Engagement with CivilSociety Organisaons, which, in line with the ASEAN Charter, will be negoatedas the dra Guidelines on Engagement with Entes Associated with ASEAN.The Guidelines on ASEANs Relaons with Civil Society Organisaons were lastamended at the 2nd Meeng of the 39th ASEAN Standing Commiee (ASC),Jakarta, 18 - 19 January 2006. The 39th ASC adopted the above version ofthe Guidelines on 3 April 2006. These guidelines are available on the ASEANwebsite at hp://www.asean.org/18362.html.

The Deputy Secretary-General added that the crucial quesons for ASEAN are:Which CSOs should ASEAN engage with?, and How to deal with the issue ofhuman rights?.

He added that ASEAN-CSO cooperaon has only just begun and is sll evolving,and both sides are sll gaining familiarity with each other. There are manyquesons to address, such as Can we establish construcve dialogues? Do weshare mutual interest?Can we establish trust? Can we go beyond dialogues andwork in partnership to serve the people. How can we beer synergise interestwhile maintaining our independence?, etc.

Moreover, ASEAN born as an inter-governmental organisaon was not equippedwith mechanisms to collaborate with CSOs. He noted that this is the me toexplore and develop the mechanisms for such engagement.

Ocials from ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community are already engaging CSOs invarious ways. Dato Karmain cited several examples of ASEANs engagementwith CSOs:

A Malaysian-based Global Environment Centre is assisng the ASEANSecretariat as the regional project execung agency for the USD4.3 millionGEF/IFAD Projects on Peatlands through policy dialogue and consultaonto implement projects and programmes at the sectoral body level. In theenvironment sector, an ASEAN CSOs Consultave Forum on EnvironmentalProtecon and Sustainable Development was held from 2 - 4 May 2007in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Forum provided a plaorm for CSOrepresentaves in ASEAN to exchange ideas on key environmental issuesfacing the region, share experiences and lessons learned, and to exploreand develop mechanisms and modalies for more formal and regularinteracon, collaboraon and consultaon among ASEAN naonal CSOs,and between CSOs and the ASEAN Environmental bodies on promongenvironmental protecon and sustainable development.The educaon and youth sector is engaging with the leading universies inASEAN, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Educaon Organisaon (SEAMEO)and its centres, and the various youth councils.


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Through technical cooperaon for example, a consorum of CSOs, such asWorld Vision, Oxfam, Mercy Malaysia and Save the Children, contributedto the recovery and reconstrucon of Myanmar following Cyclone Nargisin 2007.

A number of other ocials from the ASEAN Secretariat added that engagementon funconal or sectoral issues develops more easily than engagement onpolical issues. Therefore, there is room for the instuonalisaon of plaormsof engagement with CSOs on sectoral issues. They also added that while theASEAN Secretariat sta support engagement with civil society, they believe it isimportant for CSOs to select entry points that are realisc and praccal. It mayalso not be important for civil society representaves to aend high-level ASEANmeengs when seeking engagement. For example, civil society representavescould seek engagement with lower-level ocials who work directly on the

issues. They also reminded parcipants that ASEAN governments avoid conictsand work by consensus in the ASEAN Way.

Four experts presented dierent models for stakeholder engagement in otherregional organisaons. During these presentaons, parcipants of the Symposiumwere asked to note evidence of (1) Inclusiveness, (2) Construcveness, and (3)Possible Pracces for Frameworks for Civil Society Engagement. 1

3. Frank Siebern-Thomas

European Commission (EC)

Frank Siebern-Thomas, Head of Sector Social Dialogue and IndustrialRelaons at the Directorate-General for Employment, European Commission(EC), explained several methods for stakeholder involvement in the EU andexemplied the European Social Dialogue. He stated that relave to ASEAN, the

EC had a comparave advantage in developing its CSO engagement methodsas the EU possesses the legal authority as a supranaonal enty. Its memberstates are obliged to adhere to the EUs principles. There are strong Europeaninstuons (such as the EU Parliament, Council, Court of Jusce etc) whichpromote engagement, and many actors are involved in civil society discourse,including business and industry associaons and lobby groups, social partnerssuch as employer and labour unions, non-government partners, think tanks andacademia, as well as other partner countries.

1 T he papers provided by the speakers are available in the Appendix.


Some methods and examples of stakeholder engagement from the EU include:

In general, the EC views CSOs as a vital bridge between the EU, member states,and EU cizens. Based on an EU Treaty obligaon, the EC has a stakeholdersystem which increases the capacies of all parcipants (the CSOs, memberstates, as well as the EC itself) to deepen the integraon within the EU.

4. Hanne Marte-Furset

Norwegian Child and Youth Council (NORDEN)

Hanne Marte-Furset from the Internaonal Department of the Norwegian Childand Youth Council (LNU) gave a presentaon on the NORDENs model of civilsociety engagement. The NORDEN model is driven by the regions desire tostrengthen itself as a bloc, and works with two main cooperaon structures:the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. Both structures workwith the principle of consensus-seeking to develop common iniaves for the

benet of the Nordic populaon.

One unique aspect of NORDEN is its tradion of organising free me especiallyin the aspect of civil society parcipaon. With a 4.8 million populaon, theNORDEN region is home to over 300 naonal CSOs. CSOs are viewed as arepository for accurate research and knowledge, and play a role in providinginformaon to increase civic parcipaon, idenfying and providing soluons tosocial problems, communicang through the media, and inuencing the policyprocess through its input.

Meengs and informaon exchanges through direct contact, invitaonsto policy commiees, regular, instuonalised meengs at the summit orministerial level, and other ad-hoc meengs with the EC;Open and public consultaons of interested pares, including paper oronline consultaons (such as Your Voice), targeted consultaons, andexpert groups on specic topic areas such as trade and climate change andhuman rights;Regular, targeted, themac stakeholder fora;

Roundtables with stakeholders and third countries;

Institutionalised consultative bodies (within the EU Treaty, Article 11),which mandate that the EUs instuons will provide plaorms for open,transparent and regular dialogue and consultaons with civil society; and

European Cizens Iniave, where ground-up proposals from EU cizensmay be considered by the EU for implementaon.

1.

2.

3.

4.5.

6.


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The LNU is one of the regions largest CSOs, and comprises only of youth agedbetween 13 and 30. Its methods of communicaon include formal channels, suchas hearings, research and reference groups, and informal channels, includinglobbying informaon, campaigns, and alliance-building mechanisms. Ms Fursetgave an example of good pracces where a reference group and open meengsbetween NORDEN states and CSOs have led to a United Naons (UN) Youthdelegaon from NORDEN being formed, where they parcipate and negoateyouth-related resoluons as an ocially-recognised UN youth delegaon.

5. Boichoko A. Ditlhake

South African Development Community Council of Non-Governmental

Organisaons (SADC-CNGO)

Boichoko A. Ditlhake from Botswana, the Execuve Director of the SouthAfrican Development Community (SADC) Council of Non-GovernmentalOrganisaons (CNGO) gave a presentaon of SADC-NGOs framework ofstakeholder engagement. The SADC-CNGO is the apex body of all naonal NGOsin the 15 SADC bodies. It has also signed a Memorandum of Understandingwith the SADC Secretariat, which has helped to improve the communicaonbetween CNGO and SADC. The work of CNGO has also helped to facilitate theengagement between NGOs and the SADC Secretariat, and member states.

The structure of the engagement process may be illustrated as follows:CSOs and NGOs within countries

15 SADC Naonal NGO umbrella bodies

SADC-CNGO

SADC Secretariat

SADC Member States


Ditlhake also shared his experiences on the challenges that SADC-CNGO hasencountered. Despite their well-intenoned programmes in stakeholderengagement, the CNGO connues to experience issues such as restricvelegislaon and limited freedoms, increasing suspicion between CSOs andnaonal governments, uneven development in the civil society sectors betweenSADC naons, and the lack of implementaon of acon plans.

In closing, Mr Ditlhake commended the ASEAN Secretariat for its iniave inorganising a conference to discuss stakeholder engagement mechanisms,but cauoned that member states would need to support this iniave atthe naonal level. It is also necessary to develop coordinaon within the civilsociety. He encouraged the CSOs to take advantage of the emerging possibiliesof engagement in ASEAN and with the ASEAN Secretariat.

6. Mariana Vzquez

University of Buenos Aires

Mariana Vzquez, University of Buenos Aires, presented an account of thepolical economy of civil society engagement in the Mercado Comn delSur (MERCOSUR) region. She noted that despite the existence of two formalframeworks (the Asuncin Treaty and the Ouro Preto Protocol) for stakeholderengagement, MERCOSUR is mainly a market-oriented instuon, which willexperience enormous challenges as the region develops. One of the core issuesfacing MERCOSUR is the fact that the most civil society engagement through theEconomic and Social Consultave Forum, or ForoConsulvo Econmico y Social(FCES), is consultave in nature, and the meeng does not possess decision-making or implementaon powers.

Ms Vzquez highlighted three areas of deciency in the MERCOSUR stakeholder

engagement process through the FCES: the lack of accountability, transparencyand a regional vision, which become a major stumbling block as all iniaves areinter-governmental.

Besides these challenges, she also menoned two internal decits of the FCES parcipaon rates were low, and tended to cluster around naonal seconsinstead of even parcipaon throughout countries.

However, she also menoned the progress that had been made social summitshave been held involving the civil society, and a successful regional-identycampaign had been underway for some me.


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Looking to the Past and Mapping Our Future2

Following the presentaons, the facilitators of the Symposium explainedthe Future Search Method to parcipants. Elements of this method wereused for the next sessions.The facilitators provided abackground of the rest of theSymposiums proceedings,and explained that allparcipants would be takenthrough ve steps to help

map the future of ASEAN andstakeholder engagements.

Parcipants were asked to adhere to ve norms throughout the Symposium:1. keep an open mind, and recognise that there is not only one right soluon;2. respect everyone and do not judge;3. keep eyes turned towards the future (instead of the past);4. seek posive outcomes; and5. trust and enjoy the process.

Parcipants were asked to contribute to four main secons of theproceedings:3Secon of Proceedings: Tasks for Parcipants:

Part 1: Exploring the Past Provide an overview of past developmentsPart 2: Understanding the Present Analyse the present situaon of CSOs

in ASEANPart 3: Envisioning the Future Provide an outlook for possible

cooperaon in the futurePart 4: Planning for Acon Plan for the future

2 Future Search is the name for a 3-day planning meeng that enables people to cooperate in complex situaons, includingthose of high conict and uncertainty. Started by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Jano, Future Search funcons to help peoplecollaborate despite dierences of culture, class, gender, age, race, ethnicity, language, and educaon. The method has beenemployed in communies, schools, hospitals, churches, government agencies, foundaons and NGOs. Four principles underliea successful Future Search: 1. Geng the whole system in the room 2. Exploring all aspects of a system before trying to x anypart 3. Pung common ground and future acon front and centre, treang problems and conicts as informaon, not aconitems. 4. Having people accept responsibility for their own work, conclusions, and acon plans.3 Important note: The explanaon of the Future Search methodology was conducted in the evening on the rst day, and thenelaborated by the facilitators on the second day of the Symposium. However, the actual conduct of the method began on therst day with the presentaons. This report puts the presentaons in the context of the Future Search method.


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Part 1: Exploring the Past

The next part of the Symposium was the joint recollecon of the best andworst pracces in ASEANs civil society engagement. Using cards and sckers,the facilitators arranged the contribuons of the parcipants on a large melineor history wall, illustrang the shared understanding of the regions collecvepast.

The exercise was one which enabled all parcipants to have a birds eye viewof how ASEAN (as an instuon) was developing in tandem with its increaseddesire to have beer forms of civic discourse. Prouds moments were pointsof posive armaon for all involved, and looking at the Sorries mounted onthe wall helped to foster a desire to do beer.

Part 2: Understanding the Present

In addion to the history wall, parcipants were askedto recall their notes taken during the presentaons,parcularly on how the case studies could provide keyinsights into how ASEAN could develop (1) StakeholderInclusiveness, (2) Stakeholder Construcveness and(3) Possible Pracces for Frameworks for Civil SocietyEngagement. These notes were then mapped ontoa matrix which grouped the suggesons into interestareas.

Ten major priories of the stakeholder-delegates emerged (in no order ofimportance): A priorised, themac dialogue format; Clarity in operaonalising the ASCC Blueprint; The need/desire for a naonal-level dialogue or consultave process; Co-ownership of the leadership process for engagement; Selecon criteria of CSO representaon (on any plaorm) and Selecon criteria of CSO representaves (such as issue experts); Instuonalisaon of the engagement process and mechanisms, including

developing legal frameworks and endorsement from ASEAN leadership; Appropriate ming of engagement process (in avoiding media grandstanding

by either party); The development of a CSO structure (similar to SADC-CNGO); The need for increased communicaon and public educaon on ASEAN and

its agendas.The detailed list of the interest areas is aached in the Appendix.

Through this process of rening and dening the areas of improvement, theparcipants connually used the examples as common ground to developASEAN methods of construcve CSO engagement.

Part 3: Envisioning the Future

Aer developing an understanding ofASEANs past and present methods andchallenges to stakeholder engagement,parcipants were brought to the third stageof the Future Search, where they were askedto envision their Ideal Future Scenario(2015), describing what they see, hear, readand feel about ASEAN-CSO engagement,especially with regard to the ASCC.

Parcipants expressed these ideas on ip charts, and presented their visionsin their groups through performances, describing key accomplishments,programmes, policies, and structures. They also cited possible challenges andtriumphs that their ideal future scenario would entail.

Parcipants were then asked to envision specic projects in their areas ofinterest that could help to realise their ideal futures, especially projects whichcould cut across other interest areas which had been presented by other groups.These projects were then grouped into four categories:

Group A1 Projects that have a leader at the table to make it happenGroup A2 Projects that have a leader among ALL parcipants to make it happenGroup B Projects that have people interested but NO leaderGroup C Projects that do not have people in the room who can lead or be

part of it

These projects were used to form the basis for developing working groups in thenal secon of the Symposium. The working groups mapped out acon plans,owned by the parcipants at the Symposium. The parcipants proposed 20projects. The complete list of projects is shown in the Appendix.


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Part 4: Planning for Acon

During the nal lap of the Symposium,the parcipants discussed the projectsand developed plans of acons. The Listof Proposed Projects and Acon Plans isaached in the appendix.

Of the plans proposed, they were furthermapped into a matrix to illustrate the scopeand meline of the proposed projects. Thematrix mapped stakeholder engagementlevel (direct or indirect) against thoseapplicable in 2010 or beyond.

The parcipants proposed 10 iniaves:1. The Establishment of an ASEAN Civil Society Council;2. The Development of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the ASCC Forum

in 2010;3. The Establishment of Naonal, Regional and Themac CSO processes (such

as conferences and other fora on ASEAN issues and engagement);4. The Mapping of the CSO landscape [in ASEAN];5. Creaon of an ASEAN-CSO Commiee between CSOs and Naonal Ministries

of Foreign Aairs;6. Training CSOs on ASEAN Community Pillars (Development of Community

Pillar Champions);7. Operaonalising of Regional Human Rights Mechanisms Alignment and

Strengthening (5 year plan);8. Creation and Implementation of a We Are ASEAN campaign between

2010 and 2015;9. Development of the ASEAN Development Corps (similar to Peace Corps); and10. Creaon and Development of Publicity Materials for Educaon and Training

on Democracy, Human Rights and Parcipaon.

Each of these project groups then developed project plans, esmated budgets,melines and deliverables, and included team members from the parcipantsinterested in each iniave. The projects were designed for independentimplementaon by the parcipants.

In the concluding session, all parcipants exchanged views on their experiencesincluding their hopes for the future, their relaonships with otherparcipants, as well as any highlights or wows. Most of the parcipantsexpressed their hope for the future, but acknowledged that many challengeslay ahead.

In conclusion, Dr Stefanie Elies, of the FES, and Dr Anish Roy, of ASEC, thankedall parcipants for contribung to the unique historical success of theSymposium.


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Conclusion


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Conclusion

The ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) Symposium on Methods of StakeholderEngagement in Regional Organisaons concluded with a posive outlook.Ocials from the ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat and the civilsociety acknowledged that despite the challenges the ASEAN governmentsand civil society representaves had experienced in the past, all paresshare the vision of creang an ASEAN Community.

The presentaons by the representaves of the various regional organisaonsrevealed the existence of engagement pracces that may be applied to theASEAN region. These presentaons also helped the parcipants to realisethat the ASEAN region can learn from the experiences of other regions,parcularly in the organisaon of their naonal and regional processes.The stakeholders further learned that it may be more construcve to seekengagement with the ASEAN governments at a funconal or sectoral level,and not only on major polical or ASEAN-wide issues. They also gatheredthat while other regional organisaons had succeeded in developing highlysophiscated engagement processes and instuonalising the engagementprocess, there were other regions that admire ASEANs achievements inregional cooperaon. The parcipants acknowledged that stakeholders can

oer experiences to help to implement ASEANs policies; as well as oerimportant insights that ASEAN governments can use to create or improveregional policies. The stakeholders and parcipants idened champions forthe project ideas, and expressed their readiness to develop the iniavesthey had collecvely proposed.

The implementaon of some of the project ideas is likely to be challenging,such as the creaon of formal linkages between the CSOs and governments;the development of a ve-year plan to operaonalise and strengthenregional human rights mechanisms; and the creaon of an ASEAN-CSOCommiee between CSOs and naonal Ministries of Foreign Aairs.


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However, the Symposium revealed the convergence of ideas and the mutualrecognion of the dierent responsibilies stakeholders have in creang theASEAN Community. The landscape of stakeholders is also very diverse and theybring a wide variety of experse and experience to the process. There are manymore thousands of stakeholders who have not yet engaged with the ASEANgovernments, and who are not yet conscious of what regional integraon entails.As the Community matures in the spirit of the ASEAN Charter, the Roadmap ofthe ASEAN Community and the Iniave for ASEAN Integraon (IAI) StrategicFramework, and the mandate given by the ASEAN Leaders, both governmentaland non-governmental stakeholders share the same interest in making progressalong the same path.

Since the conclusion of this Symposium, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, has proposed the idea of the First ASEAN Secretariat ASEAN

Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Forum in 2010 to the ASEAN Leaders. SomeCSOs have developed closer relaonships with the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEANMember States, sharing informaon and developing trust. Others acknowledgethe need to work together to establish plaorms like an ASEAN Civil SocietyCouncil, establish naonal, regional and themac CSO processes; commissionstudies to map the legislave landscape for CSOs in ASEAN; train CSOs on theASEAN Community; and develop publicity materials for educaon and trainingon democracy, human rights and parcipaon.

The organisers are condent that the champions of these project ideas will workhard to bring them into fruion, and hope to have the opportunity to worktogether again.


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Appendices


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Appendices

1. Papers on Methods of Stakeholder Involvement in

Regional Organisaons

1.1 Simon Tay and May-Ann Lim

Singapore Instute of Internaonal Aairs (SIIA)

Assessment and Overview: ASEAN and Regional Involvement of Civil

Society

November 2009

Introducon

Instuonal engagement between ASEAN and civil society (CS) shouldbe a two-way street. Engagement must be seen as both a desirable andnecessary process by ASEAN as well as by civil society actors. It is only whenboth pares are willing and able to approach the other in a collaboraveenvironment will a successful partnership emerge.

This assessment and overview of ASEAN and regional involvement of civilsociety will focus more closely on developments in ASEAN-CS engagementsover the last ten years, and aims to cover a number of areas. In parcular,it will discuss developments involving the pillar of ASEAN Socio-CulturalCommunity (ASCC), the third pillar of the ASEAN Community.

In the rst part of this paper, the history of ASEANs engagement withcivil society will be reviewed, looking at exisng avenues and areas ofinvolvement. This will include discussion on the structure of ASEAN, andits capacity to handle civil society engagement. The second part of thispaper will consider parcular areas of engagement in which funconal orissue-based civil society organisaons have had with ASEAN.The third andconcluding part of the paper will provide a policy analysis of the currentASEAN and regional involvement of civil society, and make observaonswhich may be used to frame a discussion on stakeholder involvementmethods for ASEAN.

ASEAN: A Brief Introducon

ASEAN was established in 1967 by ve governments: Indonesia, Malaysia,Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Subsequent expansion has included


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Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, bringing themembership to 104. The Associaons Declaraon (the Bangkok Declaraon5 ) includesthe following goals: regional economic growth, social progress and culturaldevelopment, regional peace and stability, the promoon of collaboraonand assistance between naons, and funconing as a regional grouping bywhich member naons may engage other exisng internaonal and regionalorganisaons as a bloc6.

ASEAN Vision 2020, ASEAN Community & the Three Pillars

In 1997, a proposal for ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian naons, outwardlooking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnershipin dynamic development and in a community of caring sociees was armedin the ASEAN Vision 2020 statement. In 2003, ASEAN leaders signed the BaliConcord (II), which mooted the creaon of an ASEAN Community by 2015, built

upon three pillars: polical and security cooperaon, economic cooperaon,and socio-cultural cooperaon7 . This development occurred in tandem with thedraing of the ASEAN Charter, which entered into force on 15 Dec 2008. TheASEAN Charter is a document that aims to help achieve the goal of creang anASEAN Community by providing legal status and instuonal framework forASEAN... it also codies ASEAN norms, rules and values; sets clear targets forASEAN; and presents accountability and compliance.8

Figure 1: The Three Pillars of the ASEAN Community

In early 2009, ASEAN rearmed its commitment to developing the ASEAN

Community through the creaon of blueprints for each of the three CommunityPillars9. This paper will focus its aenon on the ASEAN Socio-CulturalCooperaon (ASCC) pillar in its assessment and review ASEANs regionalinvolvement in the civil society within the last ten years.

4 ASEAN Secretariat. (n.d.) ASEAN Overview. Retrieved 9 Nov 2009 from http://www.aseansec.org/about_ASEAN.html5 ASEAN Secretariat. (8 Aug 1967). The ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration). Retrieved 9 Nov 2009 from http://www.aseansec. org/1212 htm6 op. cit.7 ASEAN Secretariat. (7 Oct 2003). Declaration of ASEAN Accord II (Bali Concord II) Retrieved 12 Nov 2009 from http://www.aseansec. org/15159.htm8 ASEAN Secretariat (n.d.) ASEAN Overview. Retrieved 9 Nov 2009 from http://www.aseansec.org/about_ASEAN.html9 ASEAN Secretariat. (April 2009). Roadmap for an ASEAN Community 2009 - 2015. Retrieved 29 Oct 2009 from http://www.aseansec. org/publications/RoadmapASEANCommunity.pdf

Polical and security cooperaonEconomic cooperaonSocia-cultural cooperaon

ASEANCOMMUNITY

2015

ASEANVISION2020

aseanasean

The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint10

The ASCC Blueprint narrows the focus of the regions socio-cultural developmentinto six arenas: (a) Human Development; (b) Social Welfare and Protecon; (c)Social Jusce and Rights; (d) Ensuring Environmental Sustainability (e) Buildingthe ASEAN Identy; and (f) Narrowing the Development Gap.

Of parcular interest is Secon E, which presents plans for building the ASEANcommunity through the promoon of greater awareness and common valuesin the spirit of unity in diversity at all levels of society. The acons listed underSecon E4, Engagement with the community declares its aim to build apeople-oriented ASEAN where people are at the centre of community building,through the parcipaon of all sectors of society. Concrete implementaon

plans listed include the engagement of ASEAN-aliated NGOs, as well asconvening the ASEAN Social Forum (ASF) and the ASEAN Civil Society Conference(ACSC) on an annual basis.

Raonale for Civil Society Engagement

Despite these recent plans for civil society engagement, the raonale behindit traces it roots back to the original 1967 ASEAN Declaraon (BangkokDeclaraon), which states that it represents the collecve will of the naons ofSouth-East Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperaon11 .This idea eventually developed into the concept of a people-oriented ASEAN,the ASEAN Charter of 2007.

Arcle 1.13 reads that one of the purposes of ASEAN was to promote apeople-oriented ASEANin which all sectors of society are encouraged to parcipate in,and benet from, the process of ASEAN integraon and community building(emphasis authors.) A media release by ASEAN on the Charter signing on 20Nov 2007 noted the instuonal decision to increase in parcipatory decision-

making in the region, and declared that ASEAN is moving from being State-centric to be more people-oriented12. The suggeson of increased civil societyengagement is also supported in the ASCC Blueprint, which underlines itscommunicaon with the involvement by all stakeholders in the integraonprocess.

10 ibid.11 ASEAN Secretariat. (8 Aug 1967). The ASEAN Declaraon. Retrieved 9 November from hp://www.aseansec.org/1212.htm12 ASEAN Secretariat. (20 November 2007). ASEAN Leaders Sign ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 29 Nov 2009 from hp://www.aseansec.org/21085.htm


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The establishment of these plans by ASEAN also coincided with the maturingof the civil society space. A number of compeng pathways to engage ASEANemerged in the early 2000s, which also gave rise to greater calls from the publicand the media calling for ASEAN to listen more to its civil society 13. A corequeson facing ASEAN and civil society today is do the current modes of CSengagement match the rhetoric of ASEANs people-oriented policy14?

History of ASEAN and Civil Society Engagement: 1967-2000

ASEAN spent the rst three decades following its establishment in 1967 focusedon developing the Associaons economic agenda. ASEAN engaged a numberof economic actors within the region in the development of this economicagenda15 that, in some ways, can be seen as a precursor for engaging non stateactors. ASEANs economic agenda eventually led to the formaon of the ASEANChambers of Commerce (ASEAN-CCI) in 197216 . The ASEAN-CCI eventually wenton to play a role in aiding ASEANs economic regionalism eorts 17 , parcularly inthe creaon of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) 18 . Ideally, ASEAN governmentsrecognised early on, this process was boom-up, driven by the business sectorand their related networks.

In 1977, the Parliaments of the then ASEAN member states also took a stepforward. They organised the ASEAN Interparliamentary Organisaon (AIPO).This allowed Members of Parliament to engage more across borders. The MPs,while mostly elected, did not belong to governments and included those fromopposion pares.

The third type of non-state actors which engaged with ASEAN during the earlyyears of its formaon was from the academic and think tank world. The mostnotable of these is the ASEAN Instutes of Strategic and Internaonal Studies(ASEAN-ISIS). The network of think thanks was established in 1983 19, and isformally registered with ASEAN20. Like ASEAN itself, this network of regional

13 Jakarta Post. ASEAN must listen more to grass roots. (9 Dec 2006). Retrieved 29 Oct 2009 from http://pseudonymitywordpress com/2006/12/09/asean-must-listen-more-to-grass-roots14 There exists a debate on the nomenclature ASEAN chose to use: people-oriented versus people-centred. The outline for thisargument can be read in Chandras (2009) Civil Society in Search of an Alternave Regionalism in ASEAN.15 Chandra, Alexander C. (2009). Southeast Asian Civil Society and the ASEAN Charter: The Way Forward. Retrieved 29 Oct 2009from hp://www.asiasapa.org/index2.php?opon=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=4116 Hernandez, C. (2006). Track Two and Regional Policy: The ASEAN ISIS in ASEAN Decision Making, in H. Soesastro el al. eds.,Twenty Two Years of ASEAN ISIS: Origin, Evoluon and Challenges of Track Two Diplomacy. Jakarta: Centre for Strategic andInternaonal Studies, pp. 17- 30.17 Collins, Alan. (2008). A People-Oriented ASEAN: A Door Ajar or Closed for Civil Society Organisations? in ContemporarySoutheast Asia Vol. 30, No. 2 (2008), pp. 313 - 331.18 op. cit.19 The Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Myanmar ISIS) is engaged in an observer capacity.Soesastro et al, (2006). Introduction in H. Soesastro el al. eds., Twenty Two Years of ASEAN ISIS: Origin, Evolutionand Challenges of Track Two Diplomacy. Jakarta: Centre for Strategic and Internaonal Studies, p14.20 Hadi Soesastro, Clara Joewono and Carolina Hernandez provide an excellent history of the ASEAN ISIS Instutes in theintroducon of Twenty Two Years of ASEAN ISIS: Origin, Evolution and Challenges of Track Two Diplomacy, published in2006 by I ndonesias Centre for Strategic and Internaonal Studies (CSIS Indonesia). Most of the narrave included here is derivedfrom this chapter of the book.

think tanks began with: the Centre for Strategic and Internaonal Studies(CSIS) in Jakarta, Indonesia; the Instute of Strategic and Internaonal Studies(ISIS) Malaysia; the Instute for Strategic and Development Studies (ISDS) inPhilippines, the Singapore Instute of Internaonal Aairs (SIIA) and the Instuteof Security and Internaonal Studies (ISIS Thailand). It has since expanded toinclude the Brunei Darussalam Instute of Policy and Strategic Studies (BDIPSS);the Cambodian Instute for Cooperaon and Peace (CICP); the Instute ofForeign Aairs (IFA) of Laos, and the Diplomac Academy of Vietnam (DAV),which was formerly known as the Instute for Internaonal Relaons (IIR) 21.A think tank from Myanmar has been granted status as an observer. 22

ASEANs early engagement with its constuent community remained limitedto these two sectors of business and think tanks. During the early decades ofASEANs development, many CSOs and NGOs did not see ASEAN as an instuonworth engaging with. Typically, they viewed ASEAN as an elist organisaoncomprising exclusively diplomats and government ocials23, and preferredinstead to focus their lobby eorts on their local governments. 24 Otherwise,they bypassed ASEAN altogether by engaging in internaonal and mullateralorganisaons such as the United Naons (UN), the World Bank (WB), theInternaonal Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Organisaon (WTO)25 .

Another reason for the very limited civil society engagement in the rst threedecades of ASEANs history was also because the founding naons of ASEANwere mainly authoritarian states that did not look kindly on NGOs. From thishistory, some explain the residual hesitancy that ASEAN governments havetowards engaging in the democrased sphere of civil society 26 .

21 ASEAN-ISIS. (2009). ASEAN Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS). Retrieved 29 Oct 2009 from http://www.siiaonline. org/?q=node/204022 The Myanmar Instute of Strategic and Internaonal Studies is an observer in this grouping, according to Hernandez. C. (2006) seeop. cit.23 ASEAN Secretariat. (2009). Report of the Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 5 Nov 2009 from http://www.aseansec. org/19247.pdf24 Email interview with Dr Yeo Lay Hwee, Director of the EU Centre in Singapore and Senior Research Fellow at the Singapore Instuteof Internaonal Aairs. 13 Nov 2009.25 Chandra, Alexander C. (2009). Southeast Asian Civil Society and the ASEAN Charter: The Way Forward. Retrieved 29 Oct 2009 fromhp:// www.asiasapa.org/index2.php?opon=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=4126 op. cit.


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ASEAN and Civil Society Engagement: Three Pathways and Host Iniaves

As ASEAN began to seek an engagement with CSOs and vice-versa, therehas been considerable confusion and indeed contestaon over priority andlegimacy between dierent processes and meengs. In the following table, wetry to schemacally set out three dierent pathways that have emerged. Thischaracterises the approaches from top down to boom up and also notessome of the milestones and signicant steps along each pathway (see Table 1.).

We also note the events cung across all three pathways in which theASEAN governments acng through the host of the ASEAN summit have soughtto organise consultaons with CSOs. These events were dierently organised bythe dierent host governments and with dierent partners.

Table 1: Three pathways of ASEAN and civil society engagement and their key

components (chronologically)

Path 1 (Track 1) Path 2 (Track 2) Path 3 (Track 3)

ASEAN Top-down Path ASEAN-Associates Path Boom-up Path1977 development of theASEAN Inter-ParliamentaryOrganisaon (AIPO)

Nov 2000 1st ASEAN PeoplesAssembly (APA) in Batam,Indonesia

Aug 2002 2nd APA in Bali,Indonesia

Sep 2003 3rd APA in Manila,Philippines

May 2005 4th APA in Manila,Philippines

Dec 2005 1st ASEAN Civil Society Conference in Shah Alam, Malaysia, Dec 2005Eminent Persons Group (EPG)

High Level Task Force (HLTF) Dec 2006 5th APA in Manila,Philippines

Oct 2007 SIIA ASEAN Civil Society Conference in SingaporeOct 2007 6th APA in Manila,Philippines

1st ASEAN Peoples Forum/4th ASEAN Civil Society Conference (Hua Hin, Thailand, Feb 2009)Mar 2009 7th APA in Manila,Philippines

2nd ASEAN Peoples Forum/5th ASEAN Civil Society Conference (Cha-am, Thailand, Oct 2009)

Dec 2006 2nd Civil SocietyConference in Cebu, Philippines

Nov 2007 3rd ASEAN Civil SocietyConference in Singapore

Path 1: The ASEAN Top-down Path

The rst pathway that can be observed is the ocial path of top-downiniaves iniated by ASEAN, involving Track 1 acvies and representavesappointed by ASEAN and governments. ASEAN acvies populated this path,such as the development of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisaon/Assembly (AIPO/AIPA), the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), and the High-LevelTask Force (HLTF).

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) has its roots in the ASEANInter-Parliamentary Organisaon (AIPO), which was formed on 2 September1977. The creaon of the AIPO was due to the realisaon by ASEAN leadersthat the strength of ASEAN emanates from the roots of its sociees 27, andtherefore greater parcipaon amongst the leaders (as naonal representaves)

was required if ASEAN was to achieve its original objecves. Its statutes wereupdated in 2007 to reect the need for more direct and acve parcipaon bythe peoples of the ASEAN countries.28 It was during this me that it was alsorenamed the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). Members of the AIPAare nominated by their own governments, and are members of their naonalparliaments. This is an example of the ocial pathway that ASEAN has clearedtop-down, as a way for the roots of its sociees through its leaders toengage in the ASEAN process.

The Eminent Persons Group (EPG)29 was created at the 11th ASEAN Summit.In the Kuala Lumpur Declaraon on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charteron 12 December 2005, it was stated that ASEAN would create this group,comprising highly disnguished and well respected cizens from ASEANMember Countries, with the mandate to examine and provide praccalrecommendaons on the direcons and nature of the ASEAN CharterThe EPG was to make recommendaons, which the document promised toconsider (at) subsequent meengs. Ten civil servants or rered diplomats

27 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. (n.d.) ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (From AIPO to AIPA). Retrieved 10 Nov 2009 fromhp://www.aipasecretariat.org/site/about-us/background-a-history28 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. (n.d.) The Statutes of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (APIA). Retrieved 16 Nov 2009from hp://www.aipasecretariat.org/site/about-us/statutes29 ASEAN Secretariat. (12 December 2005). Kuala Lumpur Declaraon on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 5 Nov2009 from hp://www.aseansec.org/18030.htm30 Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Aairs and Trade II of Brunei Darussalam; Dr Aun Porn Moniroth, Advisor to thePrime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Naonal Economic Council of Cambodia, Ali Alatas, Former Minister for ForeignAairs of Indonesia; Mr Khamphan Simmalavong, Former Deputy Minister of Lao Peoples Democrac Republic; Tan Sri Musa Hitam(Chairman), Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; Dr Than Nyun, Chairman of the Civil Service Selecon and Training Board ofthe Union of Myanmar; Fidel V. Ramos, Former President of the Philippines; Prof S. Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, CoordinangMinister for Naonal Security and Minister for Law; Mr Kasemsamosorn Kasemsri, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofForeign Aairs of Thailand; and Mr Nguyen Manh Cam, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aairs of Vietnam.ASEAN Secretariat. (2005). List of Members of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 1 Nov 2009 fromhp://www.aseansec.org/18033.htm31 ASEAN Secretariat. (2009). Report of the Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 5 Nov 2009 from hp://www.aseansec.org/19247.pdf, p8.


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were appointed to the EPG:30 The EPG met eight mes, and acvely consultedASEANs various partners and stakeholders31 , including two meengs with civilsociety, before developing and subming their report on the ASEAN Charter.Aer the submission of this report in December 2006, the EPG disbanded, andsubsequently, the High Level Task Force (HLTF) was set up on 13 Jan 2007 todra the ASEAN Charter32.

The High Level Task Force (HLTF) was appointed by ASEAN followingrecommendaons from the EPG, comprising twelve persons.33 The HLTF alsomeet with CSOs but less oen than the EPG above, and with a narrower remitof discussions. This, we surmise, was due to the nature of their work to dra theASEAN Charter, rather than the EPGs broader work of considering the possibilityand making suggesons for a Charter.

Path 2: ASEAN-Associates Path

Path 2 evolved from engagement of think tanks and academic instuons whichwere associated with ASEAN, in parcular the ASEAN-Instutes of Strategic andInternaonal Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), a group of nine regional think tanks andacademic instutes. ASEAN-ISIS pioneered Track 2 diplomacy, which is theconduct of policy dialogue among government ocials, think tanks, and otherpolicy analysts and praconers in their private capacity34. This track-2 workof the ASEAN-ISIS has resulted in many memoranda of recommendaons andanalyses sent directly to governments and policy-makers. For example, the rst

30 Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Aairs and Trade II of Brunei Darussalam; Dr Aun Porn Moniroth, Advisor to thePrime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Naonal Economic Council of Cambodia, Ali Alatas, Former Minister for ForeignAairs of Indonesia; Mr Khamphan Simmalavong, Former Deputy Minister of Lao Peoples Democrac Republic; Tan Sri Musa Hitam(Chairman), Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; Dr Than Nyun, Chairman of the Civil Service Selecon and Training Board ofthe Union of Myanmar; Fidel V. Ramos, Former President of the Philippines; Prof S. Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, CoordinangMinister for Naonal Security and Minister for Law; Mr Kasemsamosorn Kasemsri, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofForeign Aairs of Thailand; and Mr Nguyen Manh Cam, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aairs of Vietnam.ASEAN Secretariat. (2005). List of Members of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 1 Nov 2009 fromhp://www.aseansec.org/18033.htm31 ASEAN Secretariat. (2009). Report of the Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 5 Nov 2009 from hp://www.

aseansec.org/19247.pdf, p8.32 ASEAN Secretariat. (2007). Cebu Declaraon on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 5 Nov 2009 from hp://www.aseansec.org/19257.htm33 H.E. Pengiran Dato Paduka Osman Patra, Permanent Secretary, ASEAN SOM leader, Ministry of Foreign Aairs and Trade, BruneiDarussalam; H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary of State, ASEAN SOM leader, Ministry of Foreign Aairs and Internaonal CooperaonCambodia; H.E. Dian Triansyah Djani, Director-General, ASEAN-Indonesia, Department of Foreign Aairs Indonesia; H.E. BounkeutSangsomsak, Deputy Minister, ASEAN SOM leader, Ministry of Foreign Aairs Laos; H.E. Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi Haji Abdul Razak,Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Aairs Malaysia; H.E. Aung Bwa, Director-General, ASEAN-Myanmar, Ministry of ForeignAairs Myanmar; H.E. Rosario Manalo (Chairperson of the HTLF), Special Envoy, Department of Foreign Aairs, Philippines; H.E.Tommy Koh, Ambassador-At-Large, Ministry of Foreign Aairs Singapore; H.E. Sihasak Phuangketkeow (December 2006 March2007), Deputy Permanent Secretary, ASEAN SOM leader, Ministry of Foreign Aairs Thailand; H.E. Pradap Pibulsonggram (April 2007 present), Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Aairs Thailand; H.E. Nguyen Trung Thanh, Assistant Minister, ASEANSOM leader, Ministry of Foreign Aairs Vietnam, and H.E. Ong Keng Yong, former Secretary-General of ASEAN as a resource person.ASEAN Secretariat. (2007). Members of the High Level Task Force on the Draing of the ASEAN Charter. Retrieved 17 Nov 2009 fromhp://www.aseansec.org/ACP-HLTFMember.pdf34 Hernandez, C. (2006). Track Two and Regional Policy: The ASEAN ISIS in ASEAN Decision Making, in H. Soesastro et al. eds., TwentyTwo Years of ASEAN ISIS: Origin, Evoluon and Challenges of Track Two Diplomacy. Jakarta: Centre for Strategic and InternaonalStudies, p19.

eort taken by the ASEAN ISIS (AI) Instutes to engage ASEAN leaders with ocialrecommendaons derived from AI meengs occurred in 1990. The ASEAN-ISISsubmied a Chairmans Report on the Superpower Military Presence and theSecurity of Southeast Asia: Problems, Prospects and Policy Recommendaonsto ASEAN governments. In 1991, the ASEAN ISIS meeng in Jakarta submieda Memorandum, A Time for Iniave Proposals for the Consideraon of theFourth Summit, which became the basis for movements and iniaves not onlyby ASEAN governments, but also had its echo with some ASEAN DialoguePartners.35 These memoranda from the ASEAN ISIS have had an inuence increang a signicant ocial process the ASEAN Regional Forum that nowannually gathers foreign ministers from 21 countries. The success of thesesubmissions is due to the credibility of the organisaonal process of producingthem, and can be seen by their acceptance from ASEAN governments. It isagainst this background that we turn our analysis of the ASEAN-ISIS engagementwith CSOs and especially the ASEAN Peoples Assembly (APA), which the ASEAN-ISIS had organised.

The concept behind the APA dated as far back as 1998, where ASEAN-ISISsubmied its Report of the Eighth Southeast Asian Forum to the ASEAN SeniorOcials Meeng (SOM), recommending that ASEAN include the parcipaonof regional civil society in its mechanism 36 . The Memorandum noted the starkdierence between the inadequacy of ASEANs mechanisms to engage civilsociety, and the fast-developing civil society sector of the region. The originalintenon of the ASEAN-ISIS memoranda was for ASEAN and its membergovernments to create such an Assembly as an ocial organ or process.

However, unlike some other proposals put up by ASEAN-ISIS, the governmentsdid not at this point agree. The ASEAN-ISIS decided therefore to take a furtherstep in line with their shared belief that NGOs and other Track 3 actors shouldbe included within the ASEAN decision-making process. In 2000, ASEAN-ISISorganised the rst ASEAN Peoples Assembly (APA). This event was perhaps

the rst me regional CSOs in ASEAN met as a cohesive body. APA showedthe strength of the ASEAN-ISIS in their ability to not just engage the Track 1process involving ocials and inter-governmental processes, but also the Track3 processes involving the civil society of ASEAN. The rst APA included a largenumber of parcipants with both credible, boom up CSOs as well as a numberof ocials, in their personal capacies.

35 Soesastro et al, Introducon, in Twenty Two Years of ASEAN ISIS: Origin, Evoluon and Challenges of Track Two Diplomacy, CSIS:Indonesia, 2006, p8.36

Mely Caballero-Anthony, ASEAN ISIS and the ASEAN Peoples Assembly (APA): Paving a Mul-Track Approach in RegionalCommunity Building, in Soesastro et al, Twenty Two Years of ASEAN ISIS: Origin, Evoluon and Challenges of Track Two Diplomacy,CSIS: Indonesia, 2006, p56.


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At the opening of the rst APA, the then chairman of the ASEAN-ISIS characterisedAPA as a bridge created by track 2 (ASEAN-ISIS) for track 1 ocials and track3 CSOs.

A short memoranda from the rst APA was prepared and sent to governments,as well as a larger publicaon of views from APA. This good feedback process is aresult of the exisng personal and professional relaonships which have formedbetween ASEAN-ISIS and ASEAN ocials.

The APA has connued to be convened by ASEAN-ISIS, most recently at its 7thAssembly at Manila, Philippines in March 2009. The APA can be said to be havetriggered thinking by dierent governments as ASEAN Summit hosts to iniatetheir own events to relate to CSOs.

ASEAN Host Iniaves

The beginning of this path was marked by the rst ASEAN Civil Society Conference(ACSC), organised in 2005 by the Malaysian government as host of the ASEANSummit. The organizaon also involved the following Malaysian CSOs: theASEAN Studies Centre, Universi Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Third World Network,Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM), Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia(ABIM), Peace Malaysia, and the Malaysian Environmental NGOs (MENGO). Itwas aended by more than 120 parcipants from ASEAN NGOs.

The statement from this 1st ACSC was presented to the Heads of State during the11th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the rst me that civil society was givendirect access to ASEAN process37 . The report was noted in Chairmans Statementof the 11th ASEAN Summit, where ASEAN recognised the convening of the 1stACSC, acknowledged the increasingly important role that civil society plays inthe development of the ASEAN Community, and explicitly stated that they sup-ported the holding of the Conference annually on the sidelines of the ASEAN

Summit and that its report be presented to the Leaders.38

This convening of the rst 2005 could be said to mark a shi in ASEANs engage-ment with civil society. Unfortunately, the 1st ACSC was planned as a one-meevent, with no subsequent meengs or format agreed.39 However, subsequent

37 Salleh, Umminajah, Ainul Rusmin Ghazali, Masturah Alias, Mohammad Rizal Abidin, eds. (2006) Preface in ASEAN Civil Society:Building a Common Future Together (pxiii). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Ampang Press.38 ASEAN Secretariat. (2005). Chairmans Statement of the 11th ASEAN Summit. Retrieved 17 Nov 2009 from hp://www.aseansec.org/18039.htm39 Chandra, Alexander C. (2009). Southeast Asian Civil Society and the ASEAN Charter: The Way Forward. Retrieved 29 Oct 2009 fromhp://www.asiasapa.org/index2.php?opon=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=41

governments hosng the ASEAN Summit have all taken the eort to organise theirown sessions between CSOs and governments. Each successive host governmenthas however done so in their own way and this has created some confusion.

In the 2006 Summit, the Philippines as host government did not convene its ownCSO event. Rather, they adopted the 5 th APA in Manila, Philippines as the o-cial pathway. The chair of the 5th APA, Dr Carolina G. Hernandez from the ISDS(Philippines) was requested by ASEAN to make a report at the 12th ASEAN Sum-mit in Cebu in January 200740 . Ocials from the ASEAN Secretariat observed theACSC in Cebu, and presented remarks on behalf of the then Secretary-General,H.E. Ong Keng Yong41 . The recepvity of ASEAN to the long-standing APA processof engaging civil society was seen as a good sign of ASEANs progress, and theinvitaon to report on the 5th APA was hailed as an excellent opportunity to con-vey the concerns of civil society to the ASEAN leaders by ASEAN-ISIS42 . However,this led some to believe that APA had merged with the ASEAN ocial processto engage with CSOs and this has led to confusion with other pathways (as willbe discussed).

In 2007, the Singapore government, as Summit Host, supported the SIIA thinktank to organise the 2007 ASEAN Civil Society conference in October. This in-volved the direct parcipaon of four representaves from the ASEAN Secre-tariat for two full days of discussion, including Secretary-General H.E. Ong KengYong. He delivered a keynote address during this conference, and also agreedto bring the chairmans statement from the conference to the aenon of theASEAN Summit43. The Singapore 2007 ACSC however included only a modestnumber of some 40 CSOs, relying on the fact that many of these were primarymovers of larger gatherings at APA and in the boom-up process. The Singa-pore 2007 Summit moreover did not feature an interacve session between theASEAN leaders and CSOs.

In 2008, Thailand, as Summit host, made consistent eorts to consult with CSOs

by convening the ASEAN Civil Society Conference together with the ASEAN Peo-ples Forum (APF) together, connuing and enhancing the tradion of dialogue

40 Soesastro, Hadi. (2007) Foreward, in Report of the Fih ASEAN Peoples Assembly: The Role of the People in Building an ASEANCommunity of Caring and Sharing Sociees, pvii. Instute for Strategic and Development Studies: Philippines, 2007.41 SEACA and SAPA, Proceedings of the 2nd ASEAN Civil Society Conference, 10 - 12 Dec 2006, p.1242 ibid.43

Singapore Instute of Internaonal Aairs, Chairmans Statement of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference 2007. Retrieved on 18 Nov2009 from hp://siiaonline.org/les/SIIA-ACSC.2007ChairmansStatement.pdf


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between policymakers and CSOs44. The ASEAN hosts have also worked to ensurethat representaons from these gatherings are brought to the aenon of theASEAN-Secretary General (as was done in Singapore) and to allow selected CSOrepresentaves to have a face-to-face session with leaders (as was done in thePhilippines).

The 1st APF/4th ACSC was convened in Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University, Thai-land in February 2009, where ASEAN Secretary-General H.E.

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